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Figures Help Shed Light On OC Business

A lot has been said in recent weeks about the true indicators of business success or failure in Ocean City.

Some have taken exception to the public relations spin being put recently on demoflush crowd estimates, which reported more people visited Ocean City in the month of May than ever before. It has been argued while it may be possible weekend crowds have impressed, visitors are not spending as much when they are here.

We find demoflush to be a useful tool in comparing visitor numbers, so long as the formula has not changed over the years. However, there’s no way of proving 305,000-plus people are in town on any given weekend, but that figure can be used for a comparison’s sake, even if it’s unrealistic total.

We think these sales figures, documented in the hardcopy paper but not online, are solid barometers to gauge business in Ocean City. While it’s true the cost of the goods provided have increased in most cases, they are the only indicators available that speak in dollars and cents.

The room tax receipts deals specifically with how many heads are in rented beds in the town, while the food/beverage tax addresses eating and drinking habits of consumers. All businesses selling room nights and food and beverages must report these figures to the Worcester County’s Treasurer’s Office. We will be updating these charts as the numbers become available, along with continuing to track demoflush crowd numbers. We feel presenting all three will provide the best idea of how businesses are doing in this resort area.